Era Ends: Western Union Stops Sending Telegrams

[Alaiyo]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20060201/sc_space/eraendswesternunionstopssendingtelegrams



After 145 years, Western Union has quietly stopped sending telegrams.

On the company's web site, if you click on "Telegrams" in the left-side navigation bar, you're taken to a page that ends a technological era with about as little fanfare as possible:


"Effective January 27, 2006, Western Union will discontinue all Telegram and Commercial Messaging services. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you, and we thank you for your loyal patronage. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact a customer service representative."

[Shanti]

Well times are changing, They say in the article its e-mail that broke the camels back. We do have many ways now to do what we need to do and some are cheaper or free like with e-mail!! We have bank wire transfers over the net too so I guess the old telegram was meant to go by way of the dinosaur!

Glad we dont get mail by pony express anymore!! :)

Heck half of my snail mail has been replaced by e-mail. Alot of my bills send e-mail notices now instead of paper! Glad for the options these days. :)

[Chibi-Fallon]

That's sort of sad. Not that I ever sent a telegram or anything, but still.

[Little Billy]

Well times are changing, They say in the article its e-mail that broke the camels back. We do have many ways now to do what we need to do and some are cheaper or free like with e-mail!! We have bank wire transfers over the net too so I guess the old telegram was meant to go by way of the dinosaur!

Glad we dont get mail by pony express anymore!! :)

Heck half of my snail mail has been replaced by e-mail. Alot of my bills send e-mail notices now instead of paper! Glad for the options these days. :)


Yeah, but it still kinda sucks.

[Alaiyo]

I remembered thinking while reading this that Jerry Butler would have to change the words of his song, "Hey, Western Union Man." (It's about sending a telegram.)

[Amber Wynd]

I understand why they're doing it, but it's still sad because it's been part of our culture for so long. On the positive side, maybe this will help fix my Western Union Karma. Seriously, I have terrible Karma with them - can't send a telegram or wire money to anyone without something going horribly wrong.

[Alaiyo]

NPR Radio just had a discussion on the demise of the telegram.